EXPERIMENT

OBJECT - Tempering of plain carbon steel

Apparatus Required: -
 Hacksaw blade
 Plain Carbon Steel (Mild Steel) Sample
 Muffle Furnace
 File
 Emery Paper MUFFLE FURNACE

 Double disc polisher

 Etchant (Nital) [98% C2H6OH + 2% HNO3]
 Metallurgical Microscope

Theory: -
Hardening of metal produces Martensite structure with some retained austenite. The
martensite structure makes the metal very hard and brittle. The retained austenite is
unstable and it will change with time. This transformation of retained austenite even at
room temperature leads to distortion of metal. Due to these factors the hardened metal
cannot be used as it is. Hence tempering is carried out on the metals.

Tempering treatment involves:

Heating the metal just above Martensite structure temperature (50 C),

Holding it at that temperature for some time and then cooling either rapidly or slowly.
The purpose of tempering is to remove brittleness and improve ductility in the material.
The Properties obtained after Tempering are:

• Improvement in ductility and toughness.

• Slight reduction in hardness.

• Increase in tensile strength.

• Reduction in internal stress.

STAGES OF TEMPERING

On reheating as-quenched martensite, the tempering takes place in four distinct but
overlapping stages:

 Stage 1, up to 250°C — precipitation of E-iron carbide; partial loss of tetragonality

in martensite.
 Stage 2, between 200 and 300°C — decomposition of retained austenite .
 Stage 3, between 200 and 350°C — replacement of &iron carbide by cementite;
martensite loses tetragonality.
 Stage 4, above 350°C — cementite coarsens and spheroidizes; recrystallization of
ferrite.

PROCEDURE:
 Keep the Specimen inside the furnace and close the door.
 Switch on the furnace, set the temperature control knob to given temperature.
 The specimen kept in the furnace allowed heat between 35 min to 1 Hr.
 The specimen is taken out and any of the following steps are adopted as required
 The specimen is allowed to cool suddenly by quenching in cold water or oil bath or
salt bath.
 After the normalization, the specimen is subjected for reheating between 150 to
 4000C.
 Now remove it from the furnace and quench it in the quenching bath.
 Clean it, measure its hardness and record it in the observation table
Conclusion: -

When martensite is reheated during tempering, it transforms into sorbite or

troostite resulting in reduced hardness levels and increased ductility. It is seen that
tempering leads to a decrease in hardness. This is actually desirable, as low hardness
and good toughness will be beneficial for machining purposes, as cutting forces and
specific energy required will be less.The microstructure consists of finer grains and
hardness decreases, but not by much, which ensures good machinability.